Benefits of Truth
by westwingwolf
Summary: Chloe wants someone to know where she stands with Lex. AU Season 4 "Commencement" One-Shot.


AN: I own nothing. This starts during Season 4 "Commencement" but takes an AU turn. Pretend that Clark did not find the last element in Lex's vault.

Benefits of Truth

Chloe never expected to become friends with Lex Luthor even after his father's trial. In fact, Lex and her had pretty much avoided each other her senior year. But everything had changed on the day of the second meteor shower.

She'd gone to the mansion to find Lana. However, Lex informed her that the brunette had already evacuated with the staff. Insisting there was little time left to get out of Smallville, he grabbed hold of her arm and steered her toward the basement. Beneath the surface, this portion of the manor doubled as a bomb shelter. They waited through the shower, into the night, and until morning to be safe. Lex tried many times to get her mind off the thundering noise, when it proved unsuccessful, he held her instead. She awoke in the morning feeling safe in his arms.

Chloe was relieved to learn that her loved ones had all survived. Lex, however, depending on one's point of view had or had not been so lucky: Lionel had not survived this time around. The Kents informed her that Clark had left for personal reasons during the night. Somehow, Chloe wasn't surprised that a spring tragedy had rolled around, and Clark had chosen to disappear.

But this time, Clark had not returned when summer ended. And somewhere along the way Chloe stopped waiting. She was busy preparing herself for Met U and an internship with the Daily Planet. Lex had chosen to make a permanent move to Metropolis. There wasn't much change in his life as he had control of LuthorCorp since Lionel's stay in prison, but he no longer had the barrier between Smallville and Metropolis. Now he could schedule more meetings, increase his productivity, make more millions. Still he always made time for Chloe.

During the summer, Chloe had a reasonable explanation for sleeping over. She had no where else to be in the morning, and Lex would never allow her to drive home half asleep. He never offered the guest room. Just crawled into bed after her and wrapped his arms around her. She slept peacefully in his arms, but the semester was starting, and she didn't want to waste a perfectly good dorm room. Even if she had to share it with Lana…who had grown increasingly needy since Clark's departure. She also reminded her self that she couldn't live off Lex's charity forever.

Her first night in her new room, she couldn't make herself comfortable. When she arrived at Lex's door, he easily accepted her excuse that the new environment was making it difficult to sleep and took a hold of her hand as they walked to his bedroom. The next week was construction outside her window. A week later, Lana became a snorer. By the end of the month, she no longer bothered to explain. Lex had given her a key, the doorman knew her by name, and she had various personal items stashed away in the bathroom and closet.

One morning she awoke with a sense of anxiety. Lex was not sleeping next to her, but that was normal. She could smell the coffee he was making. However, it was another voice that made her weary…a female voice that she recognized. Hiding behind the bedroom door, she listened.

"Lex, I can't explain how alone I've felt these past few months. Clark left without a word, and I don't know if he ever plans on returning. Chloe is away all the time. Sometimes I think…I think you are the only friend I have left. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

Lana.

Chloe seethed. She knew Lana didn't honestly care about Lex. Only wanted him now that Clark was gone. The girl had swiftly learned the hard way that she could no longer get by with small town princess charm and a sob story. Her only hope was that Lex still held on to the sense of adoration he seemed to have for her last year.

Well, Chloe wasn't going to lose him without a fight. Glancing around the bedroom, she quickly formed a plan when she spied a certain object.

Like every morning for the past few months, Lex awoke to the petite blonde curled soundly asleep next to him. He carefully slipped out of bed and put on a shirt. When Chloe first asked to stay over, he opted not to sleep in the nude so as not to make her uncomfortable. Within a few weeks, she had noticed his uneasiness with the heat. She called him on his stupidity for thinking she needed to be coddled and promptly pulled the shirt off him. Still, he had no intention of cooking breakfast sans shirt. He gained enough scars over the years, might as well prevent a few.

As he was setting the table, he was surprised by the call informing him a Ms. Lang requested an audience. He allowed her admittance, hoping to handle whatever 'dire emergency' she needed to claim before Chloe awoke. He didn't want Lana disrupting their morning together.

He tried to will away his headache as he also thought of a polite way to usher Lana out the door. After all, his mother had tried to make him a gentleman. As he began to speak, he heard Chloe call out his name and turned to see her wearing one of his dress shirts. He eagerly drank in the sight before finally focusing on her attitude.

She seemed appropriately apologetic and Lana would certainly buy that Chloe hadn't known Lex wasn't alone. Nevertheless, Lex's eyes narrowed on her as she pressed her body against his and reached around for a cup and the coffee pot.

"Sorry to interrupt." Turning to him, Chloe stage whispered, "I couldn't find where my clothes had fallen last night."

It took all his strength not to laugh as Lana let out a lame goodbye and made a hasty retreat. Chloe set her cup down, intent on dressing before breakfast, but Lex's voice stopped her. "I can't help but notice that's not the tank top and shorts you usually wear to bed."

Chloe shrugged, "I wanted to see how the silk felt against my skin."

Lex nodded, "Hmm. And that whole act for Lana was because…"

"She needed to learn that she can't always expect to get what she wants." That was partially the truth, but more than that she didn't want Lana to get Lex.

He seemed to accept her answer. Turning back to finish setting up for breakfast, he added, "If you really want to disturb Lana, you can tell her that after she left, we had sex on the kitchen table."

Chloe knew she heard him correctly, but her quick wit failed her. Instead, she absently sputtered an "okay" before starting to leave again. Lex caught her arm and turned her body into his. He lifted her up on to the table, said "Chloe, you know Lana hates being lied to," and began a passionate kiss.

The end.


End file.
